FRANCHISING - NEW ZEALAND NATURAL PREMIUM ICE CREAM

New Zealand Natural Premium Ice Cream is a global franchise network based in Auckland, New Zealand. It operates as an international franchisor of ice cream, frozen yoghurt, smoothie and juice parlours.

New Zealand Natural began as a small ice creamery in Christchurch in New Zealand’s South Island in 1984 that specialized in ice cream with no artificial colours or flavours. Rael Polivnick, a South African entrepreneur and Australian resident, met the owner on a plane shortly after it opened, and this chance meeting led to him opening a store at Bondi Beach in 1985. Polivnick settled on a franchising model as the best way of growing the business, and the first franchised store was opened in 1990.

Today the company is 100% owned by New Zealand-based Emerald Foods, run by local entrepreneur Diane Foreman. The Auckland factory produces almost all of the ice cream for the company’s franchised network of over 650 branded outlets in more than 24 countries. The brand has diversified to include a range of ice-creams for retail, grocery and foodservice.